Is just enzyme replacement therapy enough for Fabry disease treatment? Have we missed a trick? / ¿Es suficiente la terapia enzimática para tratar la enfermedad de Fabry? ¿Nos falta algún detalle?

Background and aim: In Fabry disease (FD), primary factors such as glycosphingolipid deposition that initiate kidney damage and secondary factors that advance kidney damage to fibrosis are different. Periostin is a molecule of proven importance in renal inflammation and fibrosis. It was previously shown that periostin plays an essential role in the process leading to renal fibrosis and its expression is increased in many kidney diseases. In the present study, we aimed to reveal the relationship between periostin and Fabry nephropathy. Material-method: This cross-sectional study included 18 FD patients (10 males, 8 females) with enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) indications and 22 healthy control patients of similar age and gender. At the time of diagnosis, plasma alpha-galactosidase A (α-gal-A) and globotriaosylsphingosine (lyso-Gb3), proteinuria, and kidney function tests of all FD patients before ERT were scanned from the hospital system. Periostin was studied from serum samples collected and stored before ERT. Parameters related to serum periostin levels in Fabry disease were investigated. Results: In FD patients, serum periostin was negatively correlated with age of first symptom and GFR; and positively correlated with proteinuria and lyso-Gb3. In regression analysis, we found that serum periostin was the only independent determinant of proteinuria in patients with Fabry disease. The serum periostin levels were significantly lower in patients with low proteinuria, and the serum periostin levels were correlated with proteinuria. Discussion: Periostin may be a valuable marker of Fabry nephropathy and proteinuria. Periostin seems to be one of the molecules that may have an important role in the management of the fibrotic process in Fabry nephropathy. We think that the role of periostin among these mechanisms is worth investigating... (AU)

Antecedente y objetivo: En la enfermedad de Fabry (EF), son diferentes los factores primarios tales como el depósito de glicoesfingolípidos que inicia el daño renal, y los factores secundarios que progresan de daño renal a fibrosis. Periostina es una molécula de importancia probada en la inflamación renal y la fibrosis. Se ha demostrado previamente que periostina juega un papel esencial en el proceso que causa la fibrosis renal, y que su expresión se incrementa en muchas enfermedades renales. En el presente estudio, nuestro objetivo fue revelar la relación entre la periostina y la nefropatía de Fabry. Material y método: Este estudio transversal incluyó 18 pacientes con EF (10 varones y 8 mujeres) con indicación de terapia enzimática (ERT) y 22 controles sanos con edad y sexo similares. En el momento del diagnóstico se escanearon del sistema hospitalario las pruebas de alfa-galactosidasa A (α-gal-A) plasmática y globotriaosilsfingosina (lyso-Gb3), proteinuria y función renal de todos los pacientes con EF antes de la ERT. Se analizó el nivel de periostina en las muestras séricas recogidas y almacenadas antes de realizar la ERT. Se investigaron los parámetros relacionados con los niveles séricos de periostina en la enfermedad de Fabry. Resultados: En los pacientes con EF, el nivel de periostina sérica se correlacionó negativamente con la edad del primer síntoma y la GFR, y positivamente con proteinuria y lyso-Gb3. En el análisis de regresión, encontramos que el nivel de periostina sérico fue el único determinante independiente de proteinuria en los pacientes con EF. Los niveles séricos de periostina fueron significativamente menores en los pacientes con baja proteinuria, correlacionándose los niveles séricos de periostina con proteinuria. Discusión: La periostina puede ser un marcador valioso de nefropatìa de Fabry y proteinuria.... (AU)

Degradation-controlled tissue extracellular sponge for rapid hemostasis and wound repair after kidney injury.

Patients diagnosed with T1a cancer undergo partial nephrectomy to remove the tumors. In the process of removing the tumors, loss of kidney volume is inevitable, and current surgical methods focus solely on hemostasis and wound closure. Here, we developed an implantable form of decellularized extracellular matrix sponge to target both hemostasis and wound healing at the lesion site. A porous form of kidney decellularized matrix was achieved by fabricating a chemically cross-linked cryogel followed by lyophilization. The prepared kidney decellularized extracellular matrix sponge (kdES) was then characterized for features relevant to a hemostasis as well as a biocompatible and degradable biomaterial. Finally, histological evaluations were made after implantation in rat kidney incision model. Both gelatin sponge and kdES displayed excellent hemocompatibility and biocompatibility. However, after a 4-week observation period, kdES exhibited more favorable wound healing results at the lesion site. This suggests a promising potential for kdES as a supportive material in facilitating wound closure during partial nephrectomy surgery. KdES not only achieved rapid hemostasis for managing renal hemorrhage that is comparable to commercial hemostatic sponges, but also demonstrated superior wound healing outcomes.

Evaluating Adherence to Guideline-based Injury Grading in Pediatric Renal Trauma: How Are Patients Being Worked Up Prior to Transfer to a Level 1 Trauma Center?

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether children with renal trauma who are transferred to a level I trauma center (TC) receive appropriate imaging studies before transfer and whether this impacts care. The American Urologic Association (AUA) Urotrauma guidelines state clinicians should perform IV contrast-enhanced CT with immediate and delayed images when renal trauma is suspected. Adherence to these guidelines in pediatric patients is unknown. METHODS: Children treated for renal trauma at our TC between 2005 and 2019 were identified. Comparisons between patients with initial imaging at a transferring hospital (TH) and patients with initial imaging at our TC were performed using logistic regression. RESULTS: Of the included 293 children, 67% (197/293) were transferred into our TC and 61% (180/293) received initial imaging at the TH. Patients with initial imaging at the TH were more likely to have higher-grade renal injuries (P = .001) and were less likely to have guideline-recommended imaging (31% vs 82%, P < .001). Of patients who were imaged at the TH, 28% (50/180) underwent an additional CT imaging shortly after transfer. When imaging was incomplete at the TH, having an additional scan upon transfer was associated with emergent urologic surgery (P = .004). CONCLUSION: Adherence to the AUA Urotrauma guidelines is low, with most pediatric renal trauma patients not receiving complete staging with delayed-phase imaging before transfer to a TC. Furthermore, patients initially imaged at THs were more likely to receive more CT scans per admission and were exposed to higher amounts of radiation. There is a need to improve imaging protocols for complete staging of renal trauma in children before transfer.

The effect of transarterial embolization and nephrectomy on acute kidney injury in patients with blunt renal trauma: An American College of Surgeons - Trauma Quality Improvement Program analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Transarterial embolization (TAE) or nephrectomy for patients with blunt renal trauma might result in acute kidney injury (AKI). Thus, we analyzed the American College of Surgeons - Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) to validate this. We hypothesized that nephrectomy, and not TAE, would be a risk factor for AKI in patients with blunt renal trauma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Adult patients with blunt injuries from the TQIP between 2017 and 2019 were eligible for inclusion. The patients were divided into three treatment groups: conservative treatment, TAE, and nephrectomy. Multivariable logistic regression was used to clarify the AKI predictors. RESULTS: The study included 12,843 patients, wherein 12,373 (96.3 %), 229 (1.8 %), and 241 (1.9 %) patients were in the conservative, TAE, and nephrectomy groups, respectively. A total of 269 (2.2 %), 20 (8.7 %), and 29 (12.0 %) patients had AKI in the three groups, respectively. Both TAE (odds ratio [OR], 2.367; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.372-3.900; p = 0.001) and Nephrectomy (OR, 2.745; 95 % CI, 1.629-4.528; p < 0.001) were a statistically significant predictor for AKI in the multivariable logistic regression. CONCLUSIONS: TAE and nephrectomy were statistically associated with AKI in patients with blunt renal trauma. This result differs from our previous research findings that nephrectomy, but not TAE, was a risk factor for AKI in patients with blunt renal trauma. Further prospective and well-designed research may be needed.

Pediatric genitourinary injuries: 7-year experience at the largest tertiary referral hospital in Eastern part of Indonesia.

INTRODUCTION: The anatomical variations between children and adults render pediatric patients more prone to urogenital trauma. However, it is not known for certain whether children are more prone to genitourinary trauma than adults. The aim of the study is to scrutinize the characteristic of pediatric genitourinary trauma at, the largest tertiary hospital in Eastern part of Indonesia. STUDY DESIGN: The design of the study was analytic retrospective gathering medical records of all pediatric patients with urogenital trauma with total sampling. The number of patients, ages, genders, etiology, locations, and management were collected. Data was statistically analyzed using SPSS®, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: We found 13.5 (10-15.5) years as the median age in our 60 samples. Boy (75.00%), renal trauma (56.67%), abdominal and pelvic trauma (96.67%), traffic accident (91.67%), suprapubic catheterization (52.17%), and hemodynamically stable (91.67) was among the majority. We also found that non-operative management was in majority. Statistical analysis demonstrated significant differences for management and grade of injury (p < 0.05). DISCUSSIONS: This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first study of genitourinary injuries in children who were treated at a tertiary hospital in Indonesia during the course of the 7-year research period. The limitations of this study are retrospective character and conducted in single institution. CONCLUSION: The highest incidence of pediatric urogenital trauma is renal trauma due to traffic accident, which often multitrauma. Future prospective multi-center studies should be done to corroborate the results.

Trends in Presentation and Management of Pediatric Renal Trauma.

OBJECTIVE: We queried the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) to evaluate the presentation, management, and outcomes of renal trauma in children from birth to 18 years from 2007-2018. METHODS: Patients were categorized as infants (0-1 year), toddlers (2-4 years), children (5-9 years), preteen (10-14 years), and teens (15-18 years), and patient demographics, grade of injury, and mechanism of injury including sports-related trauma (SRT) were collected. Each group was then evaluated for the level of management and patient outcome. RESULTS: We identified 3720 patients with renal trauma. Our cohort was predominantly White (68.5%), male (68.6%), and required public insurance (38.5%). Most injuries were low grade (86.7%) and managed non-operatively (94.7%). The overall mortality was 51 (1.4%). Younger patients (infants, toddlers, children) were more likely to present with complex injuries and they were more likely to have been involved in a motor vehicle accident. They had higher blood transfusion rates, longer inpatient courses, higher levels of admission acuity, and higher mortality. Patients in the older age groups presented most after SRT. Across all age groups, the most common source of SRT was limited contact sports; however, when considering only teens, full contact sports were the primary offending activity. This review of the PHIS database provides insight to the rates and patterns of pediatric renal trauma in the United States. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest an age-related differences in the presentation, management, and outcomes of pediatric renal trauma patients.

Factors affecting and effects of hemodynamic stability of pediatric patients with grades 3-5 renal trauma: a prospective non-randomized comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Researches on the effect of hemodynamic stabilization on the implantation of conservative management for pediatric high-grade renal traumas are lacking. We aimed to assess the effect of maintaining the initial hemodynamic stability of pediatric patients with grades 3-5 renal trauma on the implementation of the conservative treatment and identify its defining factors. METHODS: A prospective study was performed on pediatric patients with grade 3-5 renal traumas who presented to our hospital during July 2020-June 2022. Hemodynamically stable patients were compared with the unstable patients for clinical characteristics, hemodynamic stabilization, and rates of success of conservative treatment. RESULTS: Forty-three patients were studied, including 26 boys and 17 girls. Of them, 28 (65.1%) patients presented with hemodynamic stability and 15 (34.9%) patients were unstable. Overall, 32 (74.4%) patients achieved and/or maintained hemodynamic stability for conservative management. There was a significant difference in blood pressure level at presentation (p < 0.001). The improvement of the hemodynamic parameters was significant per group and, in comparison (p < 0.001). The size of hematoma was significantly smaller in patients with hemodynamic stability (p = 0.023). Despite the longer (p = 0.033) hospital stay with conservative management, the rates of blood transfusion (p = 0.597) and hospital stay (p = 0.785) were not significantly different between both groups. The rates of nephrectomy and mortality were 14% and 0%, respectively. Blood pressure was independently associated with the achievement of maintained hemodynamic stability for conservative management (p = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: Hemodynamic stabilization seems to be effective and safe for implementing successful conservative management for pediatric patients with high-grade renal traumas. Blood pressure was the only independent factor of maintaining hemodynamic stability.

Estudio prospectivo aleatorizado sobre el impacto del preacondicionamiento isquémico remoto sobre la nefropatía por contraste en pacientes intervenidos de reparación aórtica endovascular / Prospective randomized study on the impact of remote ischemic preconditioning on contrast induced nephropathy in endovascular aortic repair patients

Introducción: el mayor inconveniente del uso de contrastes yodados en la práctica clínica es la nefropatía por contraste, que aumenta la morbimortalidad y los costes hospitalarios. El preacondicionamiento isquémico remoto (PCIR) es una técnica de protección tisular no invasiva que ha demostrado ser capaz de disminuir la afectación renal tras la administración de contraste intravascular. Objetivo: el objetivo principal del estudio es valorar el impacto del PCIR en la incidencia de la nefropatía inducida por contraste en pacientes intervenidos de reparación aórtica endovascular (EVAR). Material y métodos: se incluyeron pacientes intervenidos de EVAR electivo asignados de manera secuencial en grupo control y de preacondicionamiento (C y P, respectivamente). Se analizaron parámetros bioquímicos pre- y posoperatorios (a las 24 y a las 72 horas y a los 30 días). Resultados: el 98,3 % de los pacientes incluidos en el estudio fueron varones, sobre una muestra total de 120 pacientes. La media de edad fue de 73 años (rango: 56-87). La diabetes y la insuficiencia renal crónica preoperatoria (entendida como filtrado glomerular < 60 ml/min) estuvieron presentes en el 29,16 % y en el 38,33 % de los pacientes, respectivamente. La mitad de la muestra recibió preacondicionamiento en el preoperatorio. Un total de 24,17 % pacientes desarrollaron nefropatía a pesar de sueroterapia con o sin preacondicionamiento. En el posoperatorio (24-72 h) el preacondicionamiento no modificó la incidencia de nefropatía, creatinina y urea sérica o tasa de filtrado glomerular (eFG). Sin embargo, a los 30 días el grupo preacondicionado mostró una mejoría significativa de las cifras de creatinina y de ureas séricas (1,46 ± 0,3 frente a 1,03 ± 0,5; p < 0,001; 61,06 ± 27,5 mg/dl frente a 43,78 ± 12,9 mg/dl; p = 0,003) y aumento de eFG (56,37 ± 23,4 ml/min /1,73 m2 frente a 72,85 ± 17,7ml/min/ 1,73 m2; p = 0,004)...(AU)

Introduction: the biggest drawback of using iodinated contrasts in clinical practice is contrast nephropathy, which increases morbidity and mortality and hospital costs. Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) is a non-invasive tissue protection technique that has proven to be able to reduce renal involvement after intravascular contrast administration. Objective: the main goal of this study was to assess the impact of RIPC on the incidence of contrast-inducednephropathy in patients undergoing endovascular aortic repair (EVAR).Material and methods: patients who underwent elective EVAR were included, and then sequentially assigned to the control and preconditioning groups (groups C and p, respectively). Pre- and postoperative hematocrit (at 24, 72 hours, and 30 days) was analyzed. Results: total of 98.3 % of the patients included in the study were men out of a total sample of 120 patients. The mean age was 73 years (range, 56-87). Diabetes and preoperative chronic kidney disease (understood as glomerular filtration rates < 60 mL/min) were present in 29.16 % and 38.33 % of the patients, respectively. Half of the sample received preconditioning in the preoperative period. A total of 24.17 % of the patients developed nephropathy despite fluid therapy with or without preconditioning. At the postoperative period (24 h-72 h), preconditioning did not modify the incidence rate of nephropathy, serum creatinine and urea, or even the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). However, at the 30-day follow-up the preconditioned group showed a significant improvement in serum creatinine and urea levels (1.46 ± 0.3 vs 1.03 ± 0.5; p < 0.001; 61.06 ± 27.5 mg/dL vs 43 .78 ± 12.9 mg/dL; p = 0.003) and eGFR increase (56.37 ± 23.4 mL/min/1.73 m2 vs 72.85 ± 17.7mL/min/1.73 m2; p = 0.004).Conclusions: RIPC seems effective in alleviating the effects of iodinated contrast on the kidneys of patients...(AU)

Cytosine-phosphate-guanine oligodeoxynucleotides alleviate radiation-induced kidney injury in cervical cancer by inhibiting DNA damage and oxidative stress through blockade of PARP1/XRCC1 axis.

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy can cause kidney injury in patients with cervical cancer. This study aims to investigate the possible molecular mechanisms by which CpG-ODNs (Cytosine phosphate guanine-oligodeoxynucleotides) regulate the PARP1 (poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1)/XRCC1 (X-ray repair cross-complementing 1) signaling axis and its impact on radiation kidney injury (RKI) in cervical cancer radiotherapy. METHODS: The GSE90627 dataset related to cervical cancer RKI was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Bioinformatics databases and R software packages were used to analyze the target genes regulated by CpG-ODNs. A mouse model of RKI was established by subjecting C57BL/6JNifdc mice to X-ray irradiation. Serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels were measured using an automated biochemical analyzer. Renal tissue morphology was observed through HE staining, while TUNEL staining was performed to detect apoptosis in renal tubular cells. ELISA was conducted to measure levels of oxidative stress-related factors in mouse serum and cell supernatant. An in vitro cell model of RKI was established using X-ray irradiation on HK-2 cells for mechanism validation. RT-qPCR was performed to determine the relative expression of PARP1 mRNA. Cell proliferation activity was assessed using the CCK-8 assay, and Caspase 3 activity was measured in HK-2 cells. Immunofluorescence was used to determine γH2AX expression. RESULTS: Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the downstream targets regulated by CpG-ODNs in cervical cancer RKI were primarily PARP1 and XRCC1. CpG-ODNs may alleviate RKI by inhibiting DNA damage and oxidative stress levels. This resulted in significantly decreased levels of BUN and creatinine in RKI mice, as well as reduced renal tubular and glomerular damage, lower apoptosis rate, decreased DNA damage index (8-OHdG), and increased levels of antioxidant factors associated with oxidative stress (SOD, CAT, GSH, GPx). Among the CpG-ODNs, CpG-ODN2006 had a more pronounced effect. CpG-ODNs mediated the inhibition of PARP1, thereby suppressing DNA damage and oxidative stress response in vitro in HK-2 cells. Additionally, PARP1 promoted the formation of the PARP1 and XRCC1 complex by recruiting XRCC1, which in turn facilitated DNA damage and oxidative stress response in renal tubular cells. Overexpression of either PARP1 or XRCC1 reversed the inhibitory effects of CpG-ODN2006 on DNA damage and oxidative stress in the HK-2 cell model and RKI mouse model. CONCLUSION: CpG-ODNs may mitigate cervical cancer RKI by blocking the activation of the PARP1/XRCC1 signaling axis, inhibiting DNA damage and oxidative stress response in renal tubule epithelial cells.

[Traumatic injuries of the kidney and the urinary tract in blunt abdominal trauma]. / Traumatische Verletzungen der Nieren und der ableitenden Harnwege bei stumpfen Bauchtraumata.

BACKGROUND: In the context of blunt abdominal trauma, injuries to the urinary tracts often occur, especially in polytrauma patients. Urotrauma is rarely immediately life-threatening but can lead to serious complications and chronic functional limitations during treatment. Therefore early urological involvement is crucial for adequate interdisciplinary treatment. METHODS: The most important facts for the clinical routine on the consultant urological management of urogenital injuries in blunt abdominal trauma are discussed according to the European "EAU guidelines on Urological Trauma" and the German "S3 guidelines on Polytrauma/Treatment of Severely Injured Patients" as well as the relevant literature. RESULTS: Urinary tract injuries can occur even with an initially inconspicuous status and always require explicit exclusion diagnostics by means of contrast medium tomography of the entire urinary tract and, if necessary, by means of urographic and endoscopic examinations. The most common urological intervention is catheterization of the urinary tract which is often required. Less common is urological surgery, which should be coordinated interdisciplinarily with visceral and trauma surgery. More than 90% of vitally threatening kidney injuries (usually up to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) grades 4-5) are now treated by interventional radiology. CONCLUSION: Due to possible complex injury patterns in blunt abdominal trauma, these patients should ideally be directed to (certified) trauma centers with subspecialized or maximum care from the departments of visceral and vascular surgery, trauma surgery, interventional radiology and urology.

An atlas of healthy and injured cell states and niches in the human kidney.

Understanding kidney disease relies on defining the complexity of cell types and states, their associated molecular profiles and interactions within tissue neighbourhoods1. Here we applied multiple single-cell and single-nucleus assays (>400,000 nuclei or cells) and spatial imaging technologies to a broad spectrum of healthy reference kidneys (45 donors) and diseased kidneys (48 patients). This has provided a high-resolution cellular atlas of 51 main cell types, which include rare and previously undescribed cell populations. The multi-omic approach provides detailed transcriptomic profiles, regulatory factors and spatial localizations spanning the entire kidney. We also define 28 cellular states across nephron segments and interstitium that were altered in kidney injury, encompassing cycling, adaptive (successful or maladaptive repair), transitioning and degenerative states. Molecular signatures permitted the localization of these states within injury neighbourhoods using spatial transcriptomics, while large-scale 3D imaging analysis (around 1.2 million neighbourhoods) provided corresponding linkages to active immune responses. These analyses defined biological pathways that are relevant to injury time-course and niches, including signatures underlying epithelial repair that predicted maladaptive states associated with a decline in kidney function. This integrated multimodal spatial cell atlas of healthy and diseased human kidneys represents a comprehensive benchmark of cellular states, neighbourhoods, outcome-associated signatures and publicly available interactive visualizations.

Shattered Kidney After Renal Trauma: Should It Be Classified As an American Association for the Surgery of Trauma Grade V Injury?

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence and management of shattered kidney and to evaluate if the new description of "loss of identifiable renal anatomy" in the 2018 American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) organ injury scale (OIS) would improve the ability to predict bleeding control interventions. METHODS: We used high-grade renal trauma data from 21 Level-1 trauma centers from 2013 to 2018. Initial CT scans were reviewed to identify shattered kidneys, defined as a kidney having ≥3 parenchymal fragments displaced by blood or fluid on cross-sectional imaging. We further categorized patients with shattered kidney in two models based on loss of identifiable renal parenchymal anatomy and presence or absence of vascular contrast extravasation (VCE). Bleeding interventions were compared between the groups. RESULTS: From 861 high-grade renal trauma patients, 41 (4.8%) had shattered kidney injury. 25 (61%) underwent a bleeding control intervention including 18 (43.9%) nephrectomies and 11 (26.8%) angioembolizations. 18 (41%) had shattered kidney with "loss of identifiable parenchymal renal anatomy" per 2018 AAST OIS (model-1). 28 (68.3%) had concurrent VCE (model-2). Model-2 had a statistically significant improvement in area under the curve over model-1 in predicting bleeding interventions (0.75 vs 0.72; P = .01). CONCLUSION: Shattered kidney is associated with high rates of active bleeding, urinary extravasation, and interventions including nephrectomy. The definition of shattered kidney is vague and subjective and our definition might be simpler and more reproducible. Loss of identifiable renal anatomy per the 2018 AAST OIS did not provide better distinction for bleeding control interventions over presence of VCE.

Pediatric renal trauma at a level 1 trauma center in a rural state: A 10-year institutional review and protocol implementation.

INTRODUCTION: Unintentional injury is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in children. There is no consensus on the ideal, discrete management of pediatric renal trauma (PRT). Therefore, management protocols tend to be institution-specific. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to characterize PRT at a rural level-1 trauma center and subsequently develop a standardized protocol. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database of PRT at a rural level 1 trauma center between 2009 and 2019 was conducted. Injuries were characterized regarding renal trauma grade, associated multi-organ involvement and the need for intervention. The benefit of patient transfer from regional hospitals and length and cost of stay were evaluated. RESULTS: Of 250 patients admitted with renal trauma diagnosis 50 patients <18 years were analyzed. Of those, the majority (32/50, 64%) had low-grade (grade I-III) injuries. Conservative management was successful in all low-grade injuries. Of 18 high-grade PRT, 10 (55.6%) required intervention, one prior to transfer. Among patients with low-grade trauma, 23/32 (72%) were transferred from an outside facility. A total of 13 (26%) patients with isolated low-grade renal trauma were transferred from regional hospitals. All isolated, transferred low-grade renal trauma had diagnostic imaging before transfer and none required invasive intervention. Interventional management of renal injury was associated with a longer median LOS [7 (IQR = 4-16.5) vs 4 (IQR = 2-6) days for conservative management, p = 0.019)] and an increased median total cost of $57,986 vs. $18,042 for conservative management (p = 0.002). DISCUSSION: The majority of PRT, particularly low-grade, can be managed conservatively. A significant proportion of children with low-grade trauma are unnecessarily transferred to higher level centers. Review of pediatric renal trauma at our institution over a decade has allowed us to develop an institutional protocol which we believe allows for safe and effective patient monitoring. CONCLUSION: Isolated, low-grade PRT can be managed conservatively at regional hospitals without needing transfer to a level 1 trauma center. Children with high-grade injuries should be closely monitored and are more likely to need invasive intervention. Development of a PRT protocol will help to safely triage this population and identify those who may benefit from transfer to a tertiary care center.

The effect of piezoelectric shockwave lithotripsy with 2- and 8-mm focus sizes on stone disintegration and renal injury.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy and safety of shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) using a narrow focus or wide focus for renal stones. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A double-blind randomised trial included adult patients with a solitary radio-opaque renal pelvic stone of 1-2 cm. Patients were randomised into two groups: narrow-focus (2 mm) SWL and wide-focus (8 mm) SWL. The stone-free rate (SFR) and presence of complications such as haematuria, fever, pain, and peri-renal haematoma were evaluated. Pre- and postoperative urinary markers (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin [NGAL] and kidney injury molecule 1 [KIM-1]) concentrations were compared to assess renal injury. RESULTS: A total of 135 patients were recruited for this study. The SFR after the first SWL session was 79.2% and 69.1% in narrow- and wide-focus groups, respectively. There was a comparable rise in the median 2-h NGAL concentration in both groups (P = 0.62). However, the rise in the median (interquartile range [IQR]) 2-h KIM-1 concentration was significantly higher in the narrow-focus group at 4.9 (4.6, 5.8) ng/mL compared with the wide-focus group at 4.4 (3.2, 5.7) ng/mL (P = 0.02). Nevertheless, the 3-day NGAL and KIM-1 urinary marker concentrations were significantly improved (P = 0.263 and P = 0.963, respectively). The overall SFR after three sessions was 86.6% and 86.8% in the narrow- and wide-focus groups, respectively (P = 0.77). Both groups were comparable for complications, apart from the median pain score and the percentage of high-grade haematuria, which were significantly higher in the narrow-focus group (P < 0.001 and P = 0.03, respectively). CONCLUSION: Narrow- and wide-focus SWL were associated with comparable outcomes and re-treatment rates. However, narrow-focus SWL was associated with significantly higher morbidity in terms of pain and haematuria.

Traumatic pancreas, kidney, liver, spleen, gastric and diaphragma rupture with enterothorax after blunt trauma caused by falling in an adolescent: a case report.

Injury of almost all intra-abdominal organs in blunt trauma without bone and brain injury is very rare. This is the case report of a 16-year-old adolescent with severe abdominal trauma who was hit on his abdomen by a falling maytree. After admission to a Level I trauma center, emergency room treatment according to ATLS and after this emergency surgery was performed. Blood coagulation diagnostics was done using thrombo-elastography and factors and blood products have been applied according to its results keeping guidelines in mind. Damage-control surgery stopped the bleeding, and he was admitted to ICU. After second and third look surgery, the abdomen was closed. Structured diagnostics and treatment were crucial in this case. The education of trauma surgeons should include general surgery skills. These skills and knowledge of blood coagulation diagnostics and therapy saved the patient's life in this case.

Acute urological trauma.

This review summarises the principles for diagnosing and treating acute urological trauma. Renal trauma can be life threatening, although most injuries are self-limiting. Development in imaging and non-operative measures allows for a more conservative and nephron-sparing approach. Pelvic fracture urethral injury is often associated with multiple injuries. Strategy for intervention depends on whether the injury is partial or complete, anterior or posterior. Penile fracture is a rare but acute urological condition. Surgical treatment is necessary to minimize risk of complications. If handled accordingly, the functional outcome is good.